The Dream
by SweetLilac18
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng was only supposed to buy some ingredients for the bakery. So how did she end up in a renowned dance academy with the talented and famous Adrien Agreste? Because of a little mistake, she met the blonde, not knowing who he was, and was then pulled into a continuous whirlwind of events that changed her life forever. Is this really what she wanted?
1. Chapter 1

Hello there, fellow miraculers! So, short story, this whole fanfic started out from a dream I had just this morning. It was a really sweet dream that I literally wished I hadn't woken up from but, thanks to my bladder, I had no choice but to. Anyways, this is going to be my first miraculous fanfic and I'm really excited for it. (I hope you are, too!)

**this is an ****AU** **type of fanfic **where there are **no** miraculouses and **no** kwamis and **no** superpowers or supervillains of any kind. however, this is gonna be a **post war modern AU **where I bunched up a whole lot of different cultures from different countries into one.

**I HOPE ALL OF YOU'LL ENJOY! **

**Chapter 1**

It all started with a mistake.

"Dear, can you buy the ingredients in this list from the mall please?" her mother called out from the kitchen.

Automatically grabbing her purse, Marinette stood up from her desk and went out of her room. She got the list and skimmed through it. "We're running out of yeast? How'd that happen?" she asked.

The Dupain-Cheng was a family of a long line of traditional bakers. In this modern time, it wasn't common for a bakery to be family-owned, much less in the premises of that family's home. However, because of their long history and great reputation as bakers, the business still flourished.

Sabine simply chuckled. "Your father's experimenting on new bread again and he's all but used up the yeast. Would you be a dear and buy some for him?"

Marinette smiled. "No problem," she said as she opened the door. "I'll be back in a few. Make sure to keep Dad hydrated, Mom." Sabine merely chuckled as she waved her daughter goodbye. Little did she know, it'd be the last time she'll be seeing her in a while.

New Paris was nothing but one word. Weird. After the war eighty years ago, almost all the countries involved were destroyed into nothing. France was one of the remaining few that survived. Because of this, survivors came and flocked to the country, especially to the former city of love. As a result, numerous types of cultures were adapted and new ones were made. New Paris then became a bustling and flourishing metropolis, totally different from its previous form.

As Marinette waited, she could see what the old people once called the beautiful mark of Paris – the Eiffel Tower. They say it used to be incredibly tall. Some said it used to reach the sky. But now it was nothing more than four metal stands forming a square. Now it was just a historical sight and figure.

Hailing a jeepney, a vehicle brought about by southeasterners seventy years ago, she rode it to her destination. It was a convenient and cheap public transport vehicle that a majority of the Parisians loved to use, especially after the subways were destroyed.

However, when the jeepney made a turn towards a different street, Marinette knew she rode the wrong one. Calling the driver to stop the jeepney, she went down, grumbling about how she had to make an extra pay and walk back to ride the correct one. You see, jeepneys had numbers and a letter on them that guide passengers on which route they would pass through. Unfortunately, instead of riding on a 14D jeepney which would lead her to the nearest mall, Marinette rode on a 14B.

"Ugh," she grumbled as she walked back. "Stupid letters. Now I don't have enough change to pay the next ride."

As she contemplated whether to just pay the driver with a full bill or use whatever quarters she had left, Marinette climbed into a 14D jeep. She sat on the edge, just right next to the entrance-exit way, especially since there were very few passengers on the ride.

"Crap, I don't have enough to make ten quarters," she mumbled to herself as she looked into her coin purse. "One, two… Nine? How lucky." She gave a sarcastic huff.

Then, to her surprise and utter shock, a hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere and dropped a quarter into her purse. She looked up to find a handsome, blonde boy sitting in front of her with a kind smile on his face.

"Now, it's ten," he simply said with a smile. It was the kind of smile that held no hidden meaning to it.

"Umm, I can't possibly—"

"It's fine, really," he said quickly. "I… I just wanted to help."

"But…"

The boy gave her a smile that told her to just accept it. He had the warmest green eyes. "Where to?" he asked nonchalantly to alleviate the awkward air.

"Oh! Er…" Marinette was literally at a loss for words.

For one, the boy was a complete stranger. But, two, he just helped her pay for her ride. And three, he was such a hot—

"T-The mall," she replied, embarrassed at her own thoughts.

_Shit, Marinette, _she then thought. _You've got trust issues, remember? Why the heck would you tell a stranger where you're headed? Stupid, stupid, stu—_

"Oh, really? Well, that's where I'll drop off, too," he said with a smile. After a while, he started to speak again. "Am I coming off as creepy for asking you?"

Marinette's eyes shot up to look at him. He had a faint blush on his cheeks and a troubled look on his face.

"Sorry, I hadn't meant—I just wanted to, er…" he stuttered, scratching the back of his head. "I don't… get to talk to strangers often and I… wanted to… give it a try." He looked away then, his face beet red.

Marinette made a blank face. _Is he a kid or something?_

Then, before she could control herself, a chuckle made its way out of her mouth. It only made the boy become redder. Seeing this, she did her best to control herself and stopped. The other passengers in the jeep were already looking at them like they were weird people.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to laugh. It's just… Are you serious?"

The boy heaved a long sigh, relieving himself of some of the embarrassment. Looking back at her, he gave Marinette a doubtful look before facing her fully again. "Yeah. It's just… I'm more used to having people talk to me first. I wanted to try doing the talking first."

Marinette smiled at his sincerity. _This boy's not a bad person. _"You must be quite popular, then," she spoke. "What with having people do the talking first."

The boy blushed. "No, I don't think I am. It's just…" He struggled to find words. Marinette chuckled. He looked so cute.

Before the boy could reply, a sight caught Marinette's eyes.

"A water park?" she gasped as the attraction passed by them. She saw tall and swirling slides just inside the protection of tall barbed fences. "And just by the high way, too. How long has it been since I came to this side of town?" she mumbled.

The boy hummed. "Oh right, they built that place to attract more tourists to the North. So far, it's working."

New Paris was actually not as big as the former Paris. Over the years, its territories expanded to accommodate the growing population. Currently, it was on its way to becoming the New London as the political leaders were planning to just merge the whole area into one big city-country. Thus, each territory was divided into five sections. The North, South, East, West and Central section. Marinette currently lived by the border of the Central and North section but she and her family were considered as Northerners.

Because the Central's marketplace was nearer to where they lived, they usually bought their materials and other needs there rather than in the North. However, today was a special day. Since her father was busy, no one could drive her to the Central and there were no available, cheap public transportations that directly went to the Central. So she settled going to the North.

"I see," she said. "I don't usually come to the North so the current news around here are quite, well, new to me."

The boy chuckled. "That's fine. The water park is just an example that shows the North's mayor is really doing his job right," he said. "You should come by more often. It's getting livelier here."

Marinette smiled, noticing the way he avoided asking her where she's from. "Sure."

"Ah, there it is," the boy suddenly said as he pointed at the mall.

After the both of them were dropped off, they stood together for a moment before facing each other.

"Well, I guess this is it, Mr. Stranger," Marinette said. "Thanks for making the ride worthwhile."

The boy grinned. "It's Adrien, by the way," he said. "And likewise, Miss Stranger." They both laughed.

"It's Marinette. Thanks for helping me out back there. Well, see you around, Adrien," she said as she turned towards the mall entrance.

They waved to each other their goodbyes before Marinette fully turned around and walked towards the entrance. However, it didn't take her six steps before she felt a figure beside her. She looked up and her eyes widened to see Adrien again. Only this time, he didn't look as cheery as before.

"Adrien? What are you—"

"Hush," he spoke as he glanced back. "I'm being followed."

"You're being _what_?"

"I said hush," he said, giving her a tight smile before facing forward again. "Can you help out a friend for a sec?"

"Friend? We haven't even—"

"Yeah, I know, but I'm just," he paused then glanced back again. "In big trouble right now. You see, I'm not supposed to be outside right now so there are guards chasing after me now. They don't want to make it obvious though since it might cause mass panic."

"Wait, just a wait a moment," Marinette demanded but Adrien was strong and pulled her with him as he brisk walked.

"I'm sorry. I can't wait, at the moment," Adrien said. "I'm sorry for pulling you into this."

Marinette chanced a glance behind her and, sure enough, there were some nasty goon-looking men behind them. Their eyes looking straight at her. They were walking behind some people but they were surely following them. Following Adrien.

When she looked front again, she gripped onto Adrien's arm in fear. "Just _who_ are you, Adrien?" she asked.

Adrien sighed. "Can I say it's a secret?"

Marinette glared up at him. "You pull me into this without even telling me the rea—ah!"

Before she could finish, Adrien pulled her into a swift turn to the right, just before they could enter the mall, into an alleyway. "Run!" he yelled and pulled her into a mad dash.

"Adrien, wai—!"

As they ran, Marinette glanced behind her and saw two huge men chasing after them. Fortunately, that fueled her to run even faster, scaring the wits out of her.

_What had I gotten myself into?! If only I didn't take the wrong jeep, I might have bought the yeast and come back safely home by now. Instead, I'm running down an alley, chased by two big, scary-looking men, because of a complete stranger who forcefully got me into this mess! What an unlucky day!_

When they exited the alley, they were met with a huge crowd and lots of food produce stalls. They emerged into a marketplace.

"Quickly, here!" Adrien said as he pulled her into a building. They climbed up in a dimly lit, narrow staircase which led to a single door.

Adrien opened that door, pulling Marinette in, and immediately slamming the door shut. Panting harshly, Adrien let his hands slip down the door with a confused and equally tired Marinette behind him.

She looked around the room they were in and found that they were inside a shoe shop. An uninterested shopkeeper was sitting behind a desk as she filed her nails. The shopkeeper didn't even bother looking up. On one side of the store was a window that seemed to overlook a... a dance hall! Marinette walked over and saw men and women in weird clothing dancing and playing instruments. She's seen this dance before. It was a cultural dance but she forgot whose culture it was.

"Coast is clear," Adrien stated as he breathed in relief. Then he turned to find the girl he pulled along standing beside the window. He smiled and walked over.

Totally forgetting about what just happened, Marinette watched on as the dance ensued. She was mesmerized by it all. It's not like it was the first time she watched cultural dances. It's just the one she was currently watching was obviously performed by professionals who knew what they were doing. The whole routine looked so clean and -

"You like dancing?"

At the sudden voice, she jumped in fright and looked to her right. "Y-yeah, kind of," she breathlessly spoke. Then realization dawned on her and her mood immediately plummeted.

Without warning, she punched Adrien's arm, earning her a wince but she ignored it. "You kidnapping-"

"Now, hold on a minute. I did not kid-"

"-dangerous-"

"I am definitely not-"

"-inconsiderate-"

"Okay, maybe I am but-"

"-stranger!"

"Hey now, I thought we established our relationship already. Aren't we friends?"

Marinette scoffed. "Friends? We just _met_!" she argued. "On a jeep, no less. And friends don't kidnap other friends!"

Adrien sighed. "Alright, I'm sorry," he apologized genuinely, head low and voice repentant. "It's just, I didn't think I could do it alone. I needed help."

"Help from what? You won't even tell me why we had to run away. You said they were your guards yet why run away from them?" Marinette folded her arms. She didn't like how this boy pushed her over. He might have seemed nice then but he totally didn't now.

Adrien could sigh once more. "Fine. It's only fair to tell you."

Marinette waited as the blonde sorted out his thoughts. After a while, he looked up at her and offered his hand.

"What's this?" she asked.

"I know you possibly couldn't trust me after all that," he began. "But to better understand what I'm about to tell you, you need to come with me somewhere. Don't worry, it'll be safe and there won't be any scary guards chasing us this time. Please?"

Marinette looked down at the hand held out to her. She particularly took notice of the silver ring on one of his fingers. It looked expensive looking. She looked back up at the boy with the same warm green eyes. He might have been forceful and reckless and inconsiderate, but he was a pure and kind boy, at the very least. He was probably some rich kid, too, with some overprotective parent hiding somewhere. Sighing, Marinette took his hand with one of her own.

"Lead the way."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Adrien felt light hearted as Marinette took his hand in her warm one.

"Follow me," he said as he turned and walked towards the shopkeeper. "Good day, Sharon," he greeted as he pulled Marinette past her. Sharon merely glanced at them before returning her focus to filing her nails.

"Sharon's the shopkeeper as well as the guard for school exit number 5," Adrien stated as they walked through the shop's backdoor and down a dimly lit hallway.

Marinette's brow rose. "_School _exit no. 5?" she asked with an incredulous tone.

Adrien nodded. "That back there was the school's main dance shoe shop which is exclusive only to students," he continued explaining. But Marinette felt he failed to explain the most important point here.

"Wait, hold on," she spoke, pausing in her tracks. "What do you mean 'school', Adrien?"

Finally, realization dawned on him and he made an embarrassed look. "Oh! Right, I forgot. This place is actually—"

Pulling Marinette gently, he led her to the exit. As he opened the door, they were met with a wider hallway, its length perpendicular to the hallway they were just in. Directly in front of them was a ceiling-to-floor window that stretch through the whole hallway. Beyond the window was what caused Marinette's jaw to drop.

"—the National Dance Academy."

Beyond her was a whole arena surrounded on every side with bleachers. At the center of it all was a huge dance hall while a cube with screens on each side hung above it.

This was the place where national professional dance competitions were held. She watched these competitions all the time on television. Marinette never thought in her whole life that she would be able to stand in the same premises.

After her shock finally subsided, she turned to Adrien who was giving her a cheeky smile. Deciding to ignore that, she asked, "Wait a minute, how does _this_ explain who you are?"

"Well, I'm actually a student here," he said, his eyes glancing down at the grand hall. "And my father is kind of one of the board directors of this place."

"Your father is what?!"

He simply chuckled and pulled her along again. "Come on," he said. "Let me give you a grand tour of the place."

Marinette couldn't believe it. She was being given a free tour of the place she always dreamed to be in – to _study_ in – but couldn't because of her family tradition. Ever since she was child, Marinette always dreamed to become a professional dancer like those she kept seeing on television. However, when she brought up that subject up to her parents, they were a little reluctant and she understood that they wanted her to inherit the business. She was their only daughter, after all.

As they walked down the long and wide hallway, she could feel the stares of the students they passed by. The boy in front of her was oblivious as he greeted some of them. Once they reached the exit, they were met by another hallway, only this time each side had rooms attached to it.

"This is where we take our lessons for dance and music," Adrien stated as he led her to one of the rooms so she could look inside through a vertical, rectangular window on the door.

"I've been a student here for as long as I can remember. With my father as one of the higher ups, I'm given more freedom than most students," he stated as they continued walking. "Plus, I'm currently the top student so it adds to my privileges."

Marinette nodded, secretly in awe of the boy in front of her. She wished she was him at that moment. "So, when are you going to tell me about the guards, Mr. Top Student?" she asked, smirking.

Adrien nervously chuckled at that. "Well, actually, it's such a long story—"

"I have time," Marinette cut in, smirking up at him as she walked beside him. "You _did_ drag me out here, after all. I deserve all the explanations you can offer."

Groaning, the blonde boy eventually gave up. "Fair enough," he said. "This morning, I was supposed to practice for a routine I'll be performing soon. A routine I've already practiced a _hundred_ times."

Marinette chuckled at his exaggeration. Adrien saw this as encouragement and continued his story with exaggerated hand movements.

"So I thought, why not skip for today? And so, I did. Before dawn could break, I managed to escape and rode a jeep that took me to the edge of the North, just before Central. After that, I wandered around and ate some street food my father would never have allowed me to eat. I walked through public market places, and I managed to learn a lot. Well, in short, I had so much fun. It was the first time in ages since I had that much fun. But, by the time noon came, I knew I had to get back before the guards found me. It was on the jeepney ride home that I met you, Marinette. Still, I'm sorry I had to drag you into all this. I just didn't want to be caught." He gave her an apologetic look.

Marinette sighed in defeat. She couldn't get mad at him forever, even if she tried. He was too adorable.

"And? Did you think about the consequence for skipping like that? Whether or not you were caught by the guards?" she asked.

They arrived at another exit. When they emerged on the other side, they were faced by a large park-like clearing of grass where groups of students either studied or practiced dances together at different spots. In the middle of the clearing was a huge tree that provided the students shade and cool. To their left and right were other exits and, in front of them, were staircases that led down to the clearing. It stretched sideways and ended where this side of the building ended. Marinette looked up and found there were five floors, each with windows. They were on the ground floor.

"Oh, my Father never bothers to personally call me for scolding. He usually just orders his secretary to do it for him, and it's never so bad," he nonchalantly answers. "Anyway, this is the school courtyard. The building just across is the academics building."

Marinette paused. She couldn't get around the idea of a father treating his son that way, and looking at Adrien, it seemed he was used to the treatment already. However, he also seemed to not want to talk about it so she relented.

"I see," she spoke, subdued. "Then, I guess this is it?"

They looked at each other then. Adrien gave her a smile but it wasn't as bright as when he helped her out in the jeepney.

"Again, I'm sorry for dragging you into my mess," he said. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

As soon as he said that, Marinette's suddenly lit up with a newfound energy. She couldn't possibly pass up on this chance. She was finally at the place of her dreams! And now there was someone – someone who had enough power to give her what she wanted – offering to give her what she wanted as compensation. She knows she's abusing his kindness, but she just couldn't let this opportunity waste away.

"Actually, there _is_ something…"

* * *

"Oh my _god_! I can't believe this is happening," Marinette squealed as she turned around to take a good look at the place. For the first time in her life, she was inside a dance hall. It wasn't as enormous and grand as the ballroom used for competitions and it was the exact size of a normal classroom, but it was a dance hall, no less. It had mirrors on all sides and smooth wooden floor, with good air conditioning, too. "It's always been one of my dreams to be in a place like this!" Turning to the blonde who looked on with amusement, she gave him a dazzling grin. "Thank you, Adrien!"

_Oh, god, that was cute, _Adrien thought to himself, his face heating up involuntarily. Coughing, he looked away. "No problem," he answered. "I just didn't think this would be your request. Quite a waste of my offer, don't you think?" Fortunately for both of them and to his relief, there was an empty dance hall they could use. However, Adrien thought she would ask for something luxurious since she now knew of his economical background. He didn't expect this yet he somehow felt relieved by it.

Marinette shook her head. "No, not at all," she answered, smiling. "Ever since I was a child, I've always loved dancing. My parents don't necessarily support this so I've never gone to a dance hall to practice before. Now that I'm here, I'm just... _ecstatic_."

"Is that so?" Adrien muttered, seeing himself in Marinette's position. His sole parent didn't allow him the one thing he loved, as well. "So, you know how to dance?" he asked as he walked to stand beside Marinette.

He noticed how the pig-tailed girl blushed. "Well, just a little bit. I could only practice at night time in my room and, even then, I couldn't properly dance because of the small space and I was afraid I might wake my parents up. I didn't want them knowing I was still into dancing. So I'm not that good at all."

Adrien smiled and took both her hands. "Whether you're good or not," he said as he looked up into her eyes. Confidents greens met nervous blues. "That's up to me to decide."

Marinette couldn't move as the scene replayed in her head over and over. Adrien's confident look, Adrien's voice, Adrien's closeness - Marinette was about to explode. It didn't even register to her that he left for a moment to plug his phone into the speakers and played a song. She only came back to reality when Adrien managed to position her arms and his on each of their bodies.

"T-this is..." Marinette began to say, instantly recognizing the dance position and type of song.

Adrien smiled. "That's right. The old but gold ballroom dance: Waltz." He watched as excitement formed on her face and couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm guessing you know the basic steps?"

Marinette nodded hesitantly. She wasn't confident enough. Adrien thought he could fix that. Lowering his head until his mouth was next to her ear, he spoke, "Follow me."

As the music started, Adrien immediately went into dancing mode. He led Marinette into a basic routine and was immediately impressed at how fast she adapted to his routine. She knew her steps, and Marinette consistently followed his lead with no hitches. So Adrien decided to shift to a different variation. From basic moves to advanced, he led her into a sudden and quick turn. Marinette yelped in shock but managed to catch up with his pace. Adrien continued leading her into complex variations that no beginner could manage to do. And yet Marinette could and she consistently followed his lead until the song finally ended.

"What was _that_?" Marinette breathed out in shock. She did _not_ expect him to use advanced moves on her but it was a good thing she caught up. Despite this, she was brimming with excitement and energy. "Why'd you decide to pull me into an advanced routine like that so suddenly?"

Adrien grinned. "I wanted to test if you could do it, and you didn't disappoint, Marinette. I'm impressed. If you were a beginner, I'd have expected you to tumble during that sharp turn, but you didn't."

Marinette took in a sharp breath. "What, no. I don't understand. How could I possibly not be a beginner when I could only ever practice by myself?"

Patting her head and laughing, Adrien answered with five words, "You're a dance genius, Marinette."

Her eyes went wide at that and she couldn't believe her ears. Despite her shock, Adrien continued. "I deduced you couldn't have learned all those moves on your own, especially without a partner. When we danced, you knew exactly how and where to position your body and feet despite not having danced with a partner before. Yet you managed to do that dance perfectly," he said, looking at her with warmth and pride. "You're a dance genius, Marinette."

At her speechlessness, Adrien chuckled and moved to play another song on his phone. "Now, are you gonna take advantage of this opportunity, Miss Genius, or are you just going to continue standing there in shock?" He grinned as she gave him a wide smile and an excited nod, her cheeks tinged with pink.

Adrien suddenly thought he might just be able to love dance again with her around.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN**: I'm beginning to insert some new characters into the picture now~ Remember Alec? The bald, tan skinned guy? Yeah, him. Yeah.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug and its characters.

**ALSO don't forget to post your comments! Thanks! Love y'all 3 stay cool, miraculers!**

**Chapter 3**

Adrien and Marinette spent the rest of the afternoon dancing to different songs. They danced different dances, too. From waltz to hip hop to contemporary to jitterbug to swing. They both laughed when they both made mistakes (Marinette, mostly) and they had fun.

Since he was a child, he was taught that dance was his only life. As he grew up, he soon came to dislike dance until he hated it. His father never allowed him to do anything else, and Adrien was fed up with this dull, repeating life of his. That's why he kept escaping the academy, which was already his home, whenever he could.

But, maybe this time, he might be able to love dance again. With Marinette's help.

The girl was just so full of energy and life when she danced, and it was obvious she loved dancing. Her feelings for dance were affecting him and it was the good kind of effect.

At some point, both dancers flopped onto the floor, too tired to go on especially since they just finished dancing to thirty songs straight with no breaks. Adrien was even more impressed at Marinette's stamina. It perfectly matched his, more so when they danced together. She must have practiced almost every night of her life to get to this level, he thought.

"You… really love… dancing, huh?" Adrien asked as he panted, lying eagle spread on the floor.

Marinette managed a chuckle that turned into a wheeze. "Yeah… Very much so," she replied, equally lying eagle spread on the floor.

Both their heads were beside each other's, bodies on opposite sides. When Adrien turned his head to face her, he only managed to suck in a breath when he realized how close their faces were. His eyes were centimeters away from hers. They were looking straight at each other, neither making a move to widen the gap.

"Actually," Marinette spoke after a while. "I… know about you. I just never saw your face before. Your name's almost always on the newspaper or mentioned during the news section. You always won competitions and received numerous awards."

Adrien was about to make a sour comment about it when she suddenly gave him a sad smile.

"Isn't it tiring?" she simply asked. "Leading that kind of life. Is that why you escaped this morning?"

The blonde couldn't answer immediately. He continued staring into her blue, blue eyes. There was only one thing repeatedly swirling in his mind at that moment:

_That's the first time someone's asked me that._

It was the first time someone didn't ask what it was like to be famous, how he always managed to win, what he thinks about being a young star in the dance world, what it's like to be Adrien Agreste, or if they could have his autograph. It was the first time someone didn't ask him about the young dance star Adrien Agreste.

And it warmed his heart that someone finally asked about _normal_ Adrien Agreste; that someone actually asked how _he_ was faring and not his reputation-controlled self.

"Adrien?"

Snapping back to reality, he realized Marinette was still waiting for his answer. He quickly gave her a tired smile and nodded. "Yeah, it is – to both questions. Thanks for asking, Mari," he sincerely thanked her.

Marinette didn't know how to react to the new nickname other than to blush. Before he could notice it, she sat up and folded her knees so she could rest her arms and chin on them. "Must be hard, huh," she stated rather than questioned.

Adrien followed after her until they sat side by side, facing the mirror. "Super," he lazily answered, giving her a lazy smile. "Aww, are you worried about me now, Mari?"

The pig-tailed girl rolled her eyes. "Please," she spoke sarcastically.

But then, even after a while, she didn't deny it.

It was only when Marinette looked at her watch that she realized how much trouble she was in. "Holy shit! It's already past 5 PM! I promised Mom I'd be back in a bit but it's already been _four hours_," she panicked as she stood up. "I'm so screwed!"

And it was at that moment that the door suddenly opened as a tall and confident man came inside, a crowd of students following him. When he spotted Marinette and Adrien, he gave them a look of disinterest.

"Adrien Agreste," he spoke. "I see you've brought a friend. But, sorry to say, I'll be using this room now, so you two…" He motioned to the door using his fingers. "Shoo."

Adrien sighed and stood up, retrieving his phone before joining a nervous Marinette. "Nice to see you too, Instructor Alec."

The man nodded and waited until the both of them walked out. Of course, they were not exempt from the stares and whispers from the students that were with him as they passed by. All of them seemed to question why _the_ Adrien Agreste was with an unknown and shabby-looking girl. This was sure to start gossip in the academy soon.

Then, just as they were about to finally step out of the room, Adrien was struck with a wicked idea. Pausing in his tracks, he turned to Instructor Alec with a confident look.

"Excuse me, Instructor Alec," he spoke in a loud enough voice that it attracted everyone's attention. Marinette turned around and wondered what was happening or about to happen. "I have a proposal for you."

The bald dance instructor turned to Adrien, interest in his eyes. "A proposal from Adrien Agreste? What would that be?" he asked.

It was then that Adrien stepped aside to give the instructor a view of Marinette. "A school entry proposal, to be exact," he spoke confidently as he gently pulled Marinette to his side. "This girl right here is Marinette, and she is a dance genius. I've seen for myself her skills, and I can say she's the type of dancer who can surpass even _me_ in the future."

And everyone gasped. Including Marinette.

"Excuse me, what?!"

Instructor Alec was the only one unfazed by Adrien's bold assumption. The man's always known Adrien to be a serious kid who took his lessons seriously. He has personally seen the genius dancer that Adrien was and knows that the blonde is confident in himself. So, when he made such a proposal, Alec knew Adrien wasn't bluffing or joking with him even though he brought an unknown girl into school grounds (which was illegal). In other terms, Adrien wanted Alec to give the girl a recommendation for school entry. As a long time and renowned instructor within the school, anyone who would be recommended under his name would be sure to get in. Alec was skeptical but he remained reserved.

However…

"Then let's see it," Alec said as he motioned towards the dance floor. "Your dance skills." He looked at Marinette who was covered in cold sweat at that moment.

She didn't expect Adrien to do that, to say that. Why was he being so kind to her? Why is he giving her a chance to fulfill her dreams? They weren't even close! In fact, they just met!

So why?

It was then she noticed a hand nudge her from the back. She looked up to Adrien, the question obvious in her eyes: _Why?_

Adrien chuckled, understanding her look. "You're a dance genius, Marinette. Just admit it already. It'll be such a waste for the academy if they let a talent such as yourself go," he said confidently then softened his voice. "I'm giving you this chance because you _deserve_ it. Trust me."

If he had said that hours ago, she would never have trusted him. Ever. But now was different. She knew he was a dance genius himself and that he'd be the only one who could possibly understand her skills and talent. He had done so much for her already – taking her to the academy and lending her a dance hall.

How was he so kind?

Before she could ask him, Alec spoke up.

"Are you going to dance or not?" Alec asked, impatience laced in his voice. "I've still got a class to teach."

It was then that the both of them noticed the crowd around them again. Marinette inhaled a deep breath and walked to the dance floor. She then nodded to Alec who quietly observed her.

"Since this is a special test, one that will determine your admission to this school or not, I will give you a special situation," Alec spoke as he plugged his phone to the speakers. "It won't be an easy test, that's for sure. What's more, I will be your partner. That way, I'll be able to assess your dance more thoroughly. Agreed?"

Marinette nodded, her nerves tingling especially at seeing and hearing the crowd around her. In the mirror, she saw how Adrien watched her intently. Seeing that somehow gave her ease.

"We will begin with waltz. Throughout the dance, the song will change and so will the dance. You must be able to execute each dance near perfectly for you to pass. Understood?"

As the music began, Alec began moving, leading Marinette directly into an advanced variation. "There are only two types of people who deserve to study at the National Dance Academy of New Paris and those are: one, the learned. They are they who have begun learning dance at a young age and have since a passion to dance. They are the ones who work hard until their dancing is perfect," Alec spoke as they danced. "And, two, the gifted. These are rare. They are those who have the talent and natural instinct as that of a grown and experienced dancer ever since they were young."

Marinette could barely listen to him as he led her to complex movements. Luckily she's been doing a good job at following and feeling the dance. Then, she closed her eyes, allowing her feel the dance better and give herself to her partner's leadership. Alec noticed this and gave a small smirk. "Which one are you, little girl?"

Before she could answer, the song suddenly changed and so did Alec's movements. From waltz, the dance quickly melted to a cha-cha. Thankfully, this was one of Marinette's favorite dances. Just like when she was with Adrien, she consistently followed Alec's routine.

_She is a good follower, the most important trait of a partner, _Alec thought.

In the sidelines, Adrien watched on as the pair danced to different songs. Waltz, cha-cha, foxtrot, quickstep, and finally…

Tango, the most sensual of all dances.

Before anyone could think or notice, Adrien moved to the dance floor. With great timing, he quickly moved to replace Instructor Alec during a moment of separation between him and Marinette. Surprised by the sudden cut-in, Alec moved away as the couple continued the dance. For a moment, he thought he saw a scary look on Adrien's eyes when he suddenly cut in.

Collective gasps were heard all around them, followed by whispers. However the most surprised was Marinette who was surprised when her partner changed by the time she opened her eyes again.

She didn't like dancing Tango particularly because it was too intimate a dance, especially with a complete stranger and instructor. But when she saw Adrien suddenly in his place, she couldn't help but feel relieved and, at the same, even more nervous.

Because of her surprise, she nearly made a mistake in her steps but Adrien suddenly changed the variation to save her from tripping. Then, he put his mouth beside her ear, their bodies so close.

"Focus," was all he said. With that, Marinette immediately remembered what she was dancing for and focused all of herself into the dance.

Despite the sensuality of it, the both of them executed the flirty dance perfectly until the song finally stopped. Marinette was panting once it was all over, but Adrien simply smiled down at her, not a single sweat drop on his head.

Everything was silent for a moment that it was so awkward, when a single clap started which was followed by two, three, until the whole room was filled with the sound of applauses.

"Impressive," Alec commented with a smile on his face once the claps died down. "It is as Adrien says. You've consistently followed our lead without any hitches, despite the moves being advanced and complex. How long have you been dancing, err…"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," the pig-tailed girl answered. "Since I was a child, but I had to dance secretly so my parents wouldn't know."

Alec furrowed his brows at that. "Wait, your parents don't know you dance? Then how were you able to?"

"Almost every night, in my room," Marinette nervously answered. "As quietly as I could."

"Without any partner?" he asked, becoming more surprised.

"I've only ever danced alone until today," she replied.

"Then, how did you teach yourself?"

"I watch a lot of dance competitions on the television," she answered thoughtfully. "Every time I practice, I simply try to remember the moves used. Well, at least, whatever moves I could use on my own. Also, I searched the internet for some tutorials."

Alec nodded, his mouth slightly ajar and eyes wide open. "Huh, impressive," he said before grinning. "A true genius, indeed. Well, Marinette, it seems the academy is about to welcome another genius to their armoire. I look forward to teaching you, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I'll be sending your letter after my class. Congratulations and welcome to the National Dance Academy."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: hey, hey, hey! leave your comments guys! love y'all! 3**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.

**Chapter 4**

Marinette couldn't believe what just happened.

After Instructor Alec told her all that, both geniuses were immediately shooed out of the room since his class still needed to go on. As they walked down the hallway, Marinette remained silent. Her previous shock at being admitted into the school ever present in her silence. In fact, she was too dazed to remember all the things Adrien had just done – from providing her the chance to be admitted to how he suddenly cut into the dance.

Watching the dazed girl, Adrien couldn't help himself from chuckling but he was a little bit worried about his newfound friend.

It was when they got into the wide hallway again, the one overlooking the grand dance hall, that she recovered her senses again. Looking up at the blonde in front of her, she couldn't help but feel warmth bubble up inside her.

With tears pricking her eyes, Marinette damned all the consequences that would follow after what she was about to do.

Without warning, the blue haired girl moved to hug Adrien from behind, her skinny arms circling around his torso. It took the blond in great surprise, making him jump in shock, but that didn't stop Marinette from holding onto him.

"Thank you so, so much," she mumbled into his shirt. He felt something wet on his back and figured that she was crying now.

He gently removed her arms and twisted around so he could face her. Before she could feel the embarrassment from suddenly hugging him, he pulled her into a hug. Because he was taller than her, Marinette simply rested her head on his chest as he patted her head with a smile on his face.

Without realizing it, he fulfilled her dreams with just a few words. Marinette couldn't properly express how grateful she was to him but opted for the 'crying and mumbling words of thanks' option. He was just a stranger up until that afternoon and she a stranger to him. Yet the boy helped her anyway without asking for any sort of compensation. Even if they clicked and became good friends in just a short amount of time, Marinette thought that still wasn't enough to warrant such kindness. It made her realize one thing.

He was simply and naturally kind.

And it was that natural trait of his that made her fall in love with him.

Adrien could only pat at her head as she continued to sob (they're happy tears, Adrien, stop worrying) into his shirt. He didn't mind getting wet with her tears. The boy was happy to be a great help to his friend. Marinette was one of the handful of friends he had, and he wanted to cherish the little amount of important people he had in his life.

Marinette taught him how fun dance was again and showed him how to love the sport once more, all in such a short amount of time and company. He wanted to do so much for her because of that. Despite starting off at the wrong foot, the two of them eventually found even ground with each other through dance.

He couldn't have been more thankful for dance. It allowed him to meet an important friend.

Now, Marinette was sincerely glad she took that wrong jeepney because, if she hadn't, she might not have been able to meet Adrien and get a chance to be admitted into the school of her dreams.

Adrien was glad he escaped that morning. Because of it, he was able to meet an amazing girl who'll turn out to be one of his most important persons.

"I'm sorry for getting your shirt wet," Marinette apologized as she broke away from the hug, nose and eyes red while her cheeks were wet. "God, Adrien, I can't thank you enough for all you've done. I still can't believe you did that for me."

Adrien simply chuckled. "Don't worry about that. It was a pleasure to help you, Marinette," he spoke, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Besides, I can't let a talent like you go to waste. A genius has to look out for his fellow geniuses, right?"

Marinette laughed. "Right," she answered with a bright smile.

Adrien smiled at that. "Alright then, now that you're finished, it's about time to register you as an official student."

"Huh? But I'm sure Instructor Alec hasn't sent a letter of recommendation yet," she reasoned out, perplexed at the speed Adrien was going at. "And, besides, I doubt it would be processed that fast when it was _just_ sent."

"I know," Adrien spoke with a cheeky smile. "However, NDA is nothing like the other schools in Paris. Here at NDA, _everything_ is advanced. Recommendations are sent via email and certain teachers, such as Instructor Alec, are sure to get an approved letter. Once that's done, an email is sent to the registration office. They're probably waiting for you now." He winked.

"God, why am I so lucky?" Marinette mumbled.

Adrien heard it and couldn't help but laugh as he pulled Marinette down the hall and to the registration office.

* * *

"And you are," Adrien slowly announced as he held up the paper to Marinette's face. "Officially registered."

Marinette looked at the face staring back at her in her new school ID. The whole process was indeed really fast. By the time Marinette and Adrien reached the office, the registrars were already waiting for her with an expectant smile. They made her sign papers, took her fingerprint, took her picture, measured her body, and printed her ID within twenty minutes. Because she was already 19, she no longer needed her parent's signature for the documents so it was all easy riding for her.

In the National Academy of Dance, anyone could enroll so long as you were not a criminal, an alien or too old/young to dance. It was nursery, elementary, middle school, high school and university rolled into one prestigious academy. The great thing about NDA was that it did not discriminate from the poor and rich. If a person had talent, brains or experience, they will be easily accepted into he academy. Anyone can graduate from NDA. This was one of the reasons Marinette loved the academy.

"I can't believe I'm here," Marinette muttered to herself as she stared at her ID. "It feels like a dream, Adrien."

"Well, it isn't. That's why I need you in reality right now, Mari. We still have to find your dorm room," Adrien spoke as he held up a pair of keys in front of her face.

The bluenette's eyes widened. "Oh, right! Students in NDA live within school grounds, in dorms. So that means..."

It was then that horror flashed through her eyes. She looked up at Adrien, worry in her eyes. "I need to go back home, Adrien. My parents are surely worried about me by now," she said, looking at her watch. "Shit, it's already 7 PM. I need to go, Adrien." She began to sprint away as she said that. Adrien watched his newfound friend as she sprinted away. He was missing her already.

"Wait a minute!" he called out. "Do you know the way out?"

Marinette paused in her tracks. Red with embarrassment, she looked back. "Could you umm...?"

Adrien laughed as he caught up to her. _This girl is hopeless_.

* * *

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Marinette called out once she entered her home. Her parents, who looked stricken with a look of worry as they were hunched over a phone, turned towards the sound of their daughter. Both gasped and rushed to their little girl whom they taught was kidnapped or lost. They quickly gave her a hug.

"Where were you? Do you know we almost called the police?" Sabine scolded her daughter as they hugged. "We were so worried about you."

"The good thing is your home safe now," Tom spoke.

Once they broke away, Marinette apologized and then began to tell them about everything. She watched as her parents' expressions turned from surprise to worry to sorrow as they listened to her. When she finished, silence blanketed the whole family before Marinette decided to break it.

"Mom, Dad, I've loved dance since I was a child," Marinette spoke. "It's the only thing I've been dreaming about. Being accepted into NDA has been a major dream come true for me. I know you both want me to inherit the bakery but... I just really love dance more. I'm sorry I disappointed you both. But... will you still allow me to attend NDA?"

"Oh, honey," Sabine spoke with a sad look in her eyes. "Whoever told you we would never allow you to dance?"

"But-But I thought you wanted me to inherit the bakery?"

"Honey, it's true we were worried for the bakery but nothing is more important than helping our little girl achieve her dreams," Tom said.

Marinette couldn't help the tears swelling up in her eyes. "So, all this time, I've misunderstood?"

Sabine gave her a smile and hugged her daughter. "You haven't. It's just we never said it right enough, but know that we'll always support you. Especially now that you've been admitted to NDA. You've found a wonderful friend, now, haven't you? I'm so proud of you, Marinette," she spoke softly.

"Me, too," Tom agreed and they all gathered into a hug once more.

Marinette couldn't hold back her tears and let herself cry her second tears of joy that day. She wondered how lucky she was at that moment.

* * *

As Adrien saw Marinette off by the school exit, a familiar voice suddenly spoke up from behind him.

"It seems you've been busy skipping classes, Adrien," Nathalie spoke with disdain. "Your father is-"

"I know," Adrien defeatedly spoke as he turned to her.

Nathalie didn't bother to continue, partially because she pitied the 20-year-old boy who was still under his father's supervision. Without another word, she turned around and headed to the Chairman's office. Adrien didn't plan to follow but then she suddenly turned around. "Your father is waiting for you," she added, signaling him to follow her.

And that was how Adrien ended up in the large, gloomy office of the Chairman. The man he called Father was seated on a leather chair just behind a wide mahogany desk. He was facing the ceiling-to-floor office window, watching the sun set over the horizon. Neither Adrien nor Nathalie spoke up until the sun was no longer in view and the whole office became dark. It was only then that Gabriel Agreste ordered Nathalie to turn the lights on without turning around in his seat.

Once the lights were on, Gabriel turned around in his seat and stood up, giving his son a disappointed look. "Ah, Adrien," he started. "I heard you escaped your dorm room this morning. _Again_. Should I tighten the security more for me to keep you behaved?"

_More like to keep me locked up, _Adrien thought. "It won't happen again, Father," he sullenly yet respectfully spoke.

"Hm. Also I hear you've even brought a _friend_ into school grounds, which is illegal by school rules," Gabriel added. "_And_ got her admitted as a student. Am I right?"

Adrien stayed silent for while before answering. "Yes, but only because she has exhibited great talent and skill as a dancer, Father."

"And did you know that before you illegally dragged her into the school grounds?" he asked.

Adrien didn't answer to that. He knew, whatever it is he was about to say, will only be shot down and rebuked by his cold father.

"I am so disappointed in you, Adrien," Gabriel finally spoke after the long silence. "I thought you would be better than this, but it seems the outside world has influenced you in the worst ways possible. The next time you escape, I will make sure you will never see the outside ever again once you step back into these grounds."

Adrien chilled. His father was serious. As the boy thought about what his father could have possibly meant by that, Nathalie guided him out of the office. Once again, he wasn't able to say anything for himself. It depressed him that he would forever be under his father's finger, and he couldn't do anything about it because the man knew Adrien's weakness. And that is why he couldn't leave dance or this school.

He was forever his father's puppet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous Ladybug.**

**Reviews are much appreciated! Love y'all! 3**

**Chapter 5**

"Marinette, don't forget your luggage and pocket money," Sabine reminded her daughter as prepared her snack. "Remember to just call if you need more, alright? We'll be sending you every month. Alright, sweetie?"

"Thanks, Mom!" Marinette replied as she bounded down the stairs with a huge luggage behind her. She stopped by the restroom and looked herself over. Early that morning, the school sent box containing three pairs of brand new uniforms. Needless to say, Marinette was so excited to try on her uniform. "I'm all packed and ready. Anything else I need?"

"Here," Tom spoke as he handed Marinette a wad of cash from the bakery's cashier box. "You'll need money to buy your dancing materials, won't you? Take this." He placed the wad on his daughter's hands.

"Dad! I couldn't! This is bakery money!" Marinette protested.

Sabine chuckled. "Don't you worry about the bakery going bankrupt now, Marinette," she joked. "Your father and I have saved up just as much for you. This isn't even your whole savings yet. Don't worry, the bakery has its own savings from the time of our ancestors. We're richer than you think, dear." She winked.

"That's right. So just accept that money and buy what you need. You're a responsible girl. We know you'll use it well," Tom added.

"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad," Marinette said as she hugged both her parents. "I love you guys so much. I'm going to miss you both."

"We'll miss you, too, dear," Sabine said.

"Take care of yourself out there, alright?" Tom said, sniffing. "Our baby girl's all grown up now."

"You make me sound like I'm still a 15-year-old, Dad."

With that, they all laughed and sobbed their goodbyes. After hailing a cab, Marinette took one last look at her parents and smiled. Then she was on her way.

* * *

After the cab dropped her and her things off at the entrance of the Academy, it was only then that Marinette finally felt the all-too-familiar dread of being a new student. Everyone around her was giving her weird looks and she hated how she was so crowd-conscious. Not to mention, the size of the place overwhelmed her. The building in front was huge and looked incredibly modern with a big window at the center. She guessed that was the chairman's office. To her right was a wide school courtyard, different from the one yesterday and bigger. To her left was the road that led to the exit and entrance. Behind her was a huge garden filled with flowers.

Yep, she was definitely overwhelmed.

As she bounded up the stairs with her luggage, she could her the whispers and murmurs of the students who passed by her.

_Isn't that her? The one with Adrien Agreste yesterday?_

_You know, I saw them hugging yesterday! _

_Is she his girlfriend? She doesn't look all that special._

_I heard she was just admitted to the school yesterday, under Instructor Alec's recommendation!_

_She _that _talented?! Lucky._

_She looks shabby, no matter how you look at it._

_But wasn't she with Adrien Agreste yesterday? She must be someone special._

And the list went on and on so Marinette didn't bother listening. What she questioned was how not one of these students even bothered to help her climb up the stairs. Apparently, no one was educated enough in manners in this place.

Just as she thought that, a pair of students walked down the stairs towards her.

"Mari! Glad you could come," Adrien greeted. Instantly, Marinette felt relieved to see her friend's face. "This is my friend, Nino. Mind if we help you out?"

"I don't mind at all, thanks! And nice to meet you, Nino," Marinette greeted as the two boys carried her luggage.

The tan-skinned boy smiled and greeted back. "Nice to meet you, too, Marinette. Adrien's told me a whole lot about you."

Marinette blushed at that. "Did he now?" she raised a brow at the blond in question.

Nervously laughing, Adrien evaded the topic by saying, "Okay, Nino. How about we focus on heaving this heavy thing up before we get into _unnecessary details_, yeah?"

Nino chuckled. "Whatever, dude."

Marinette chuckled at their dynamic and followed after them, ignoring the way people were gossiping about them behind her back. However, she didn't notice the way a certain girl in the crowd looked at her with much hatred.

Once they reached the top of the steps, Adrien and Nino heaved a hard sigh.

"Dude, what is _in_ that thing? It felt like you were bringing rocks with you," Nino commented.

"Nino, you obviously don't know how much a girl needs," Marinette sassed, a hand on her hip.

Nino laughed. "Obviously," he said and smiled at the bluenette. "You're a cool girl, Marinette. Well, I gotta head out first. Still got early classes to attend to. See you 'round, dudes." And with that, Nino went sprinting away to his next class.

"He's a nice guy," Marinette chuckled. Then she turned to her blonde friend. "Well? Where to next? Lead the way, Mr. Tour Guide."

Adrien chuckled. "This way, Miss New Student."

* * *

"I can't get in any further than this," Adrien said as they stopped at the Girls' Dorm's entrance. "There'll be a front desk when you enter. Just ask them the specifics then."

Marinette nodded. "Thanks, Adrien. You've been a big help."

The blonde had it in him to smirk cockily. "Of course. I'm the one and only Adrien Agreste, after all."

The bluenette only rolled her eyes at that. Just as she was about to enter the building, the boy called out to her. "Say, Marinette," he reluctantly spoke, totally different from his cocky act just now. "What time's your free time?"

"My free time?" she repeated and then proceeded to grab her planner from her backpack. She made sure to schedule her classes in her planner before anything else last night so she wouldn't have a hard time today. "Let's see," she mumbled as she scanned through her schedule. "Oh, it starts on 5:30 PM everyday. After that is... well, nothing. I get to do anything after that. Huh, so basically I'm free come 5:30." Marinette smiled at this. "Neat schedule."

When she looked back up at the blonde, he was smiling at her. "That's great," he spoke so softly it made her blush. "I'll meet you at the same dance hall as yesterday every 5:30 PM then. Deal?"

Marinette's heart fluttered. She can meet him everyday. That alone made her really happy. "Deal," she confirmed with a big grin. "See you 5:30, then." She waved and then entered the building.

When the bluenette was out of sight, she didn't get to see how the blonde boy pumped his fist up in excitement.

* * *

During her classes, both academic and dance, Marinette was able to make new friends. One in particular, a girl by name Alya Cesaire, who wasn't a dancer but was a genius at film and camera works, became close to her in a matter of hours. They were classmates in all of her subjects and Marinette was grateful she had someone she could constantly talk to about anything. Besides Adrien, of course.

"So, I've been hearing rumors about you and the Adrien Agreste," Alya suddenly brought up during lunch time. "Is it true?"

Marinette held her spoon midway when she heard the question and paused. "What is?"

"That you and Adrien are," Alya began and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Dating?"

Whatever Marinette managed to get inside her mouth by then was all but spit out at the mere mention of the word. Thankfully, she managed to turn her head in time to avoid spitting chewed food at Alya. Her reaction, however, only moved to fuel Alya's curiosity even more.

"Heck no! What made people think that? We just met, like, yesterday, for god's sake," Marinette rambled on.

Alya smirked. "But you like him, don't you?"

"Of course, I do! I-I mean-! Of course I _don't_," Marinette stuttered but she was already caught by Alya's sharp intuition.

"Girl, you obviously do," the redhead stated. "Just because you 'just met', doesn't mean feelings didn't develop. Didn't he help you enter the academy?"

Marinette blushed as she looked down and tortured her sliced potato with her fork. "He did, and I'm so grateful to him for it. But I don't... I just don't want to ruin our friendship because of my silly feelings."

Alya gave her bluenette friend a sad smile. "Alright, I understand. I won't ask anymore about it," she said. "Only if you help me get the juicy details."

Marinette looked up slightly. "What juicy details?"

The redhead leaned it and whispered, "Like, does Adrien have four packs or six packs abs?"

"Alya!"

* * *

The day eventually ended with no hitches except of Alya asking her more weird questions about Adrien or her life. The girl was probably born to be more of a journalist rather than a camerawoman, Marinette thought.

It was almost 5:30 PM, so Marinette decided to start walking towards the agreed meeting place which was the dance hall from yesterday. As she walked down the hallway, she was met by a group of girl loudly chatting away. Marinette decided to ignore them and walked closer to the walls to avoid hitting or getting in between them.

Just as they passed each other, a high pitched voice called out to Marinette.

"You're Dupain-Cheng, aren't you? Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the new girl?" the person asked.

Marinette turned around to see who it was. The person who spoke up was a blond girl who was at the center of the group. She looked at Marinette with a haughty look. "Yes, that's me. And who are you?" the bluenette asked.

Snorting, the blond girl stood straighter, hand on hip. "Of course a shabby girl like you wouldn't know _me_, the one and only Chloe Bourgeois, second top student in all of NDA and the best female dancer this academy has seen yet."

Marinette's brows rose up. Immediately she knew that she did _not_ want to associate herself with this person. "Is that so," Marinette deadpanned. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Miss Chloe." Turning around, she walked away from the group as fast as she could without being obvious. Once she was able to turn the corner, she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Chloe, how rude of her to dismiss you like that! Don't you think so?" Sabrina, Chloe's little assistant and 'best friend', spoke up beside her.

But the blond merely smirked. "She'll have her time now, but wait 'til I finish her off during the semester grand event. She'll be sorry. Hmp!" Chloe declared as she strutted down the hallway.

* * *

By the time Marinette reached the dance hall, Adrien was already there waiting for her. At the sound of the door clicking open, he whipped his head to find Marinette enter the room with a shy smile on her face. "Hey," she shyly greeted.

Adrien simply smiled and greeted back. "Hey."

Once she sat down beside him on the dance floor, Marinette immediately felt at ease again. "So, what are we up to for today, Mr. Agreste?" she asked cheekily.

"Well, Miss Dupain-Cheng," he shot back with a grin, earning him a chuckle from her. "Have you ever tried dancing to jive?"

The bluenette's eyes lit up at the mention of the familiar dance's name. "That's one of my favorites! Why? Are we practicing that today?" she asked in excitement. Her blue eyes dazzled whenever she was like this, Adrien noticed, and he liked that about her. She was always excited when it came to dance, and, in turn, it inspired him.

"You bet," he grinned as he stood up. "And I'm guessing Miss Genius doesn't need any warm up lessons for this?" He offered her his hand as the music started playing.

Marinette giggled, taking his hand. "Well, if Mr. Genius insists, then I don't mind taking extra lessons."

Pulling her up, Adrien positioned them into a Jive position. He hummed and then scrunched his nose. "Hmm, maybe nah." And then they both laughed.

For the rest of the evening, the two simply danced like there was no tomorrow until either of them was too tired to continue, each falling further in love with the other. After that, they went back to their respective dorms with Adrien accompanying Marinette back to hers. Days went by just like that, each day a different dance and tune. At one point, Adrien accompanied Marinette in buying her first dancing shoes and clothing which were all available at designated school shops. Days were peaceful and fun.

And then _it_ happened.


	6. Chapter 6

**any Lukanette shipper here? :)) sorry for the angst guysss, but good days are surely ahead!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.**

**Chapter 6**

"Bend your back a bit more," Alec ordered the bluenette.

It was the last class of the day. Marinette and her classmates were having their Dance101 lessons with Instructor Alec as their teacher. Before class started, he informed them about the upcoming Semestral Grand Dance event. It was an event where each Dance101 class were given the chance to show off their skills by either sending representatives or dancing as a whole group. However, each class was given a predetermined type of dance that they will perform. For Marinette's class, they were given Tango as their dance.

Marinette couldn't help but groan inwardly. It was her least liked dance because of its style and the fact that partners had to perform intimately for the dance. Thus, because it was her least favored dance, she performed quite weakly.

"Although you were able to dance quite well during the test, Dupain-Cheng, if it wasn't for my and Adrien's lead, you would surely have been hopeless," Alec harshly scolded her after correcting her pose the fifth time. "You are a talented follower, yes. However, on your own, you are simply a dancer who knows how to stand. Before you can perform with a partner again, you must know how to shadow dance."

Shadow dancing was a form of dance often used in practicing. It's when a dancer practices their poses and movements on their own while pretending they are dancing with an actual partner. This was something Marinette has done before but was never able to perfect. What's worst, she's never done shadow dancing for tango before.

Positioning herself once more, Marinette tried to project herself dancing with a partner. Breathing even, she focused her whole body into perfecting one position. It didn't surprise her that who she projected as her partner was Adrien.

She imagined one of his hands on hers and the other supporting her back. Slowly, she stretched her left leg back while carefully bending her right leg forward. She made sure her center of gravity or balance wasn't compromised. Finally, she bent her back and stretched her neck.

"Perfect!" she heard Alec praise her.

Marinette then opened her eyes and smiled. "Now, wasn't that easy?" Alec said. "Right, let's do the next positions now, shall we?"

The bluenette groaned inwardly more and so the class went on. Without notice, a certain blue-haired individual was watching the pig-tailed girl, awed by her perseverance and talent.

After a while of shadow dancing, Instructor Alec then told all the girls in the class to find a partner since they will now begin practicing for real. Marinette was instantly struck with nervousness since she barely knew anybody in her class. Alya wasn't in this class so she had no one she could ask for help. Every time she had this class, Marinette was only ever focused on performing the dance rather than make friends, and now she was regretting it very much.

In her little mental dilemma, she didn't notice how a certain boy approached her carefully. She only managed to notice him once he was right in front of her. Looking up at him, she could see a cool smile on his face, blue eyes looking like he knew exactly how much she was struggling with finding a partner. As her eyes landed on his hair, she instantly liked the way he dyed it blue at the tips.

Marinette has seen this boy before but never got to speak to him since she was always too focused on dancing.

"Hey," he greeted with a smile. "Marinette, right? I'm Luka. Luka Couffaine."

Marinette's eyes widened at the familiar surname. "Oh! Are you perhaps Juleka's…?"

Luka nodded. "Older brother."

"Oh, you don't look like…" The bluenette immediately blushed as she almost said something rude. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean… I mean, you look—"

But the boy simply chuckled. "It's fine. Although, I might take it as an offense if you didn't ask me to be your partner," he coolly 'proposed'.

Marinette's eyes widened further, a blush forming on her cheeks, before she burst into a hearty laugh. After that, she looked up at him with an amused smile. "Well, we wouldn't want that now, would we?" she giggled.

Luka chuckled and offered his hand. "May I?"

"You may," she replied happily as Marinette took his hand.

As the music started, Marinette was suddenly reminded of the type of dance they were about to perform and so she became nervous all over again. Sensing her nerves, Luka looked down at his partner and smiled.

"Relax, Marinette," he cautiously told her, doing his best to avoid rattling her even more. When the bluenette finally looked up at him with nerve-filled eyes, he chuckled. "Just focus and follow my lead, okay?" He smiled and the way he did it sent a comforting feeling over the bluenette's body.

Nodding, she fixed him with a determined look. Luka took this as a 'yes' and started leading her through the dance. Surprisingly, Marinette found, her nerves disappeared and she was able to dance the sensual dance properly without getting conscious of her partner. She also found out how great a leader Luka was and it was because of that that she was able to trust him ad give her all into the dance. Luka was impressed by how amazing a dance partner she was despite being a stiff in shadow dancing.

At one point, their faces were turned to each other, the distances between only a few centimeters. Both could feel the other's heavy breathing. However, before Marinette could become conscious again, Luka gave her a friendly smile. It was all she needed to feel relaxed once more. Smiling back, the bluenette broke away to spin towards back him into an intimate embrace as the finale.

Once the music stopped, the two found themselves in an intimate embrace. Marinette's hand was on Luka's arm while the other was encircled around his neck, pulling his face next to hers, their lips inches apart. Meanwhile, Luka's hand was anchoring Marinette's leg while the other pulled her into him from her back. Because Marinette fully leaned into him, the gravity between them was pulling the two towards each other.

Despite all this, neither Marinette nor Luka felt conscious of the other at all. Gently, Luka guided the bluenette back to a standing position with a smile on his face.

"That was… pretty amazing," Marinette gasped once she felt stable again.

"Indeed, it was."

Both students turned to their instructor who gave them an impressed look. Behind him, all the other students looked at them with awed looks Unbeknownst to the both of them, everyone was having a hard time dancing the sensual dance with their respective partner while only the two of them were able to execute it perfectly by being comfortable and trusting with each other.

"I've decided," Alec announced. "The both of you will represent this class for the Semester Grand Dance. Get yourselves ready, Couffaine, Dupain-Cheng. You're officially partners as of this day."

Marinette's widened and twinkled. Her first ever dance event! And she'll be performing as a solo couple with Luka. She turned to her new partner with a huge smile and he simply smiled excitedly back.

After class, Luka approached Marinette as she was packing her things.

"Marinette," he called out.

"Oh, Luka," she said, turning to him. She was still pumped up by the news. "Can you believe it? We're performing as a solo couple! I'm so excited!"

Luke chuckled. "I am, too," he agreed. "Is this going to be your first ever live performance?"

Marinette nodded enthusiastically, excitement twinkling in her eyes. A big smile plastered on her face as she said, "It is! And I'm going to do my absolute best. It's going to be like a debut stage for me, you know?" She chuckled. "But I'm still nervous, after all."

The boy simply gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll definitely ace this dance, and I'll make sure to help make your debut the best ever." He winked.

Marinette blushed and turned away. "T-Thanks," she said. "Well, then, I guess I'll be going."

With that, the blushing bluenette walked out of the room, leaving a smiling and hopeful Luka behind. With a short laugh to himself, he watched after her back until she turned the corner and disappeared.

It seems he might not spend his last year here wastefully, after all.

* * *

After changing back to her uniform, Marinette sprinted towards the same meeting place. She was already running late, and she didn't want to worry Adrien or keep him waiting. When she was turning the corner that led to the hall where the dance hall was, Marinette heard music playing. Slowing her steps, she rounded the corner and reached their usual meeting place.

What she saw left her feet cold.

Inside the room, she could see through the window, Adrien and a girl with short raven hair were dancing to a samba. The dance wasn't as intimate and sensual as tango, but it was still definitely intimate.

Marinette could feel a prickly feeling in her chest as she watched on. Specifically, as she watched Adrien. She saw how he was having so much fun based on his expressions as he danced with the girl. Truth be told, samba is really a fun dance to perform, but it still irked the bluenette that he was having fun without her. Or, rather, with_ somebody else_.

She knew she couldn't dictate who he dances with or not, or what type of song and dance they dance to. But what bothered her the most was how he brought an unknown girl to _their_ secret meeting place, during_ their_ special time together.

Or, perhaps, it was never secret nor special to him.

Marinette felt as if she was the only one who thought that after all this time, and she felt incredibly embarrassed.

She knew she had no right to be jealous. But she couldn't help it.

She loved him, after all.

So, after watching them for a few more moments, Marinette decided to go home for today. She didn't bother leaving any evidence of her presence. She just felt so bitter and hurt at that moment that she couldn't think of doing anything else. Marinette could care less what his excuse would have been had she stayed nor could she bother to hear it after watching all that.

She was hurt, and she was allowed to feel hurt. She loved, and she was allowed to be hurt because of that love.

Marinette went home while making sure the tears didn't spill until she reached her room. Once she got there, she let her tears spill until she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

_She's late, _Adrien thought as he checked his phone.

"Thanks for practicing with me, Adrien," the girl behind him spoke with a smile. "If it weren't for you, I probably would never have figured out how to execute that flip. You're a really great partner."

Adrien turned and smiled at his classmate. "No problem, Kagami," he replied. "I'm sure Kim is a capable partner. You both just need to communicate better."

But Kagami simply rolled her eyes. "Please, I can't deal with his aggressiveness and overenthusiasm sometimes. But thanks for the advice," she spoke, arms crossed. "Well then, I'm off. Are you still staying to practice?"

Adrien reluctantly nodded, not wanting Kagami to know he was actually waiting for Marinette. "Yeah," he replied. "Take care on your way out, Kagami."

Nodding with a smile, the raven haired girl turned and exited the dance hall. Once she was out of ear shot, Adrien exhaled a long sigh. Marinette was supposed to arrive fifteen minutes ago. He was so busy teaching Kagami that he forgot to text Marinette to come later than the usual time. Once ten more minutes passed by with no Marinette, Adrien decided to check outside the hall. He looked around and found no one and nothing to tell him that she might have been here already.

Whipping out his phone, Adrien texted Marinette, asking where she was. He waited and waited but there was still no reply.

_That's odd, _he thought. _She always replies immediately._

When he tried calling her, it only went straight to voicemail. It was only then that he started to worry that something might have happened to her. However, he also thought that maybe she was just running late. It wouldn't be the first time, after all. But she was never _this_ late, he also thought.

It was never his idea to bring Kagami to practice at this dance hall, during this hour. Without noticing, the girl actually followed him all the way here and asked him to help her with the dance. He was hesitant at first since this was a special place and Marinette might come at any time, but Kagami was really persistent and borderline desperate. He couldn't just say 'no' to a classmate asking for help. Thus, he agreed and practiced with her.

Little did he know, Marinette had already come, seen them dance and left with a broken heart.

Adrien waited 'til an hour completely passed before he turned the lights off, locked the door and returned home. Worry and unsettling thoughts swirling in his head, he wondered what happened to his dear friend.

As he passed by the girl's dormitory, he paused. At one point during their days in the academy together, Marinette pointed to him where her room window was. He never forgot. It was the third to the right, up by two floors. The lights were off, window tightly shut. The blonde sighed sadly, feeling his chest rip apart, as he walked down to his dorm.

For the next few weeks, neither of them saw each other again. Their schedules were already busy enough as it was and Marinette stopped coming to the dance hall every 5:30 PM, leaving Adrien clueless and depressed. He wondered why and sometimes he thought that maybe she saw him and Kagami dancing, leading her to think about things she shouldn't think. But he will never know, not when she's avoiding him all the time.

One of his most treasured persons suddenly disappeared from his life, and Adrien didn't know what to do but feel lost.

And just like that, the day of the Semestral Grand Dance event arrived.


	7. Chapter 7

**BTW I'm SO SORRY **for my mistake in the last chapter! Instead of **ALEX** (as Kagami's partner), it's supposed to be **KIM**. OMG MY HEAD. I get Alex and Kim mixed up a lot even though they are completely different characters from each other. Ugh. I hate myself. ANYWAY!

Enjoy this chapter! More angst! (btw, am I portraying Mari as too much of a crybaby or nah?)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.

**btw btw **when I use the word 'couple', I usually mean 'pair' not, you know, in a romantic way

**Chapter 7**

Marinette became too busy for the few weeks after that incident, and every time she thought of or heard Adrien's name, her heart would only throb in pain. She knew it was unfair to ghost out on him like that, without telling him the reason, but she couldn't possibly tell him when it risked her feelings being known by the very person she didn't want to know. It was despicable of her, she knew. Marinette vowed to apologize to him once the whole event was over.

On the other hand, she had had so much fun practicing with Luka; however, her current torrent of feelings were affecting her dancing. Many times did she have to apologize to the gentle and patient blue haired boy, and many times he forgave her and understood, never questioning her.

Despite this, they were able to complete their routine and dance without a hitch. Despite being only a two minute routine, it was quite a tiring dance since it involved a lot of complex movements.

She found out that Luka was actually a year older than her and a prodigy himself. He wasn't as good as Adrien, he told her, but he was still better than 98% of all male dancers in the academy. Marinette liked that he didn't brag about it but stated it like the fact it really was.

Then the day of the Semestral Grand Dance finally arrived.

Underneath the bleachers of the Grand Ballroom, in their designated changing room, Marinette and Luka dressed up.

Dressed in her first ever dance attire, Marinette was awed at how beautiful she looked as she twirled in front of the mirror. Because tango was a Latin dance, she was dressed quite skimpily. Her dress was composed of long, translucent red sleeves that ended at her collar bones in a deep V-neck connected to her bodice. Her dress then continued in a sensual silky, scarlet dress adorned with sparkly beads, hugging her figure until it spread into thick strings at her mid thighs. What's more, at the end of each of her sleeves were meter-long strips of deep red cloth that dangled in the air. Even with all that, what made the whole attire sexier was actually how her back was completely exposed until the small curve above her behind.

Her hair was neatly bunched up in a clean bun while her make up looked nothing but seductive. It was all so perfect.

Behind her, Luka was smoothing out his outfit. Marinette admired the way his silky red, long sleeved shirt contrasted his blue green hair. He looked incredibly sleek and tall in his black, straight cut trousers and shoes. When he caught her staring, she immediately turned away in embarrassment.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you said this was the first time you saw a real dance attire up close," he teased, chuckling. "Don't worry." He winked at her.

Marinette giggled, glad he didn't misunderstand her looking. "It all feels so surreal, you know," she said, a long look on her face. "I've always only imagined and pictured it in my mind. Now that I'm here for real, it just, well, doesn't feel so real at all."

Luka smiled down at his partner. "I understand. My first time performing felt surreal, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he laughed. "Until I was actually on the floor."

Marinette gulped. "I see."

However, much to her chagrin, Luka didn't miss a single thing. "Hey, don't be nervous now. Don't worry, I've got your back. Just do it like during practice. You'll do great, Marinette." He smiled encouragingly.

The bluenette simply nodded and gave him her most forced determined smile. The boy seemed to buy it since he didn't say anything more.

Their turn wasn't until after six classes finished performing. Among those six was Adrien's class, she remembered. She wanted to watch but, at the same time, not for fear of seeing him dancing with that girl from last time. Just thinking about made her heart throb painfully and she did _not_ need this feeling at that moment.

But Adrien was still her precious friend. The same friend who helped her out in the jeepney and got her admitted into the school of her dreams. The same boy who helped her sharpen her dancing skills and always gave her his full attention.

The same Adrien she fell in love with.

Without another thought, Marinette informed Luka she'd be watching the dances and left the room. Walking down the underground hallway, Marinette spotted numerous dancers prepping themselves up. She saw cultural dancers, modern dancers and ballroom dancers alike. They were all so focused on their prep up and conversations that nobody noticed her passing by.

It was then that she spotted a familiar face.

At the distance, she saw the raven haired girl Adrien danced with that day. Before she thought to look away, she noticed a bulky boy standing beside the girl. They looked like they bickering about something but the situation didn't look too serious. However, it wasn't that that caught Marinette's attention the most. It was how they were dressed so similarly that caught her eye. So similar, as if they were going to dance together…

Continuing her walk down the hallway more cautiously, Marinette tried to listen in to their conversation without being too suspicious.

"…is samba, Kim. Samba! Not fucking cheer dance," the girl bickered with the tall boy.

The boy simply smirked. "Well, there's still flipping and shit, right?"

The girl audibly groaned. "God, why did I even agree to solo dance this with you?"

Before she could hear the rest of their conversation, Marinette had already passed too far. But she had heard enough.

_Oh, god, what have I done? _She thought to herself as tears pricked her eyes. _Marinette, you fucking idiot! You big, BIG idiot! He was only _helping_ a friend! IDIOT!_

She did her best from crying as she ran down the hallway. Once she reached the stairs leading up to the entrance to the Grand Ballroom, Marinette hoped Adrien wasn't performing yet. She needed to apologize. She needed to tell him _now._ She need to—

"Marinette?"

And it was that voice. That same voice that always shook her to the core. The same voice that she had been longing to hear for the past few, bitter weeks.

Turning to her favorite sound, she found an incredibly handsome boy standing to her right just as she reached the top. His blond hair was slicked back to make him look more refined than he already was. He wore a slick, custom-made black tail coat and trouser matched with a green bow that looked really cool on him.

However, his normally warm green eyes looked tired and cold despite his initial shock at seeing her again.

She was suddenly breathless. _She_ did that to him, Marinette thinks but hopes she's wrong.

Before he could speak again, Marinette decided to make the first move.

"Adrien," she spoke breathlessly while she turned and walked towards him. The tears she'd been hoping to hold back were now slowly falling down her cheeks. "I'm really, really—"

"Adrien."

A foreign but resolute voice suddenly spoke up from behind the boy. Marinette immediately and frantically wiped whatever tear streaks she could as a tall, raven haired woman with glasses came up from behind Adrien. She looked cold and calculating, and Marinette could already figure out who she was from her strict demeanor.

"Your turn is next. Please prepare yourself at the hall entrance now," she spoke with a monotonous voice.

Without even taking another glance at Marinette, the woman simply waited as Adrien hesitantly turned around. Before he did, he stole a glance at Marinette, his expression something she did not want to see on his face. Once he walked away, the woman followed without another word.

Marinette couldn't help but think that situation might have turned out better had she gotten there faster. Had she said what she needed to say faster.

Now, she couldn't just not forget Adrien's expression. He looked so _lost_.

And it was all her fault.

* * *

He didn't expect to see her nor did he expect to see her cry. She looked like she wanted to tell him something, something important that could perhaps explain what had been happening with her this past few weeks. Admittedly, it made him feel a little lost, thinking what it could have been that he did to upset her that much.

Okay, maybe not a little lost. Maybe a _lot._

But he needed to focus now. He couldn't think about Marinette. Couldn't think about sweet, charming, adorable and smart Mari-

_Get a hold of yourself, Agreste. _

He couldn't mess up now, not when his father was watching his every move. Not when this dance could maybe affect his friendship with Marinette or all of his other friends. Not when this could decide the fate of his freedom.

_"Now, dancing the foxtrot, from Class..." _the announcer began. Adrien positioned himself beside his partner who was none other than Chloe Bourgeois, the daughter of the mayor of the North and his only childhood friend. In her aquamarine dress, the mayor's princess stood tall and proud. Ever since they were children, Chloe had always been his only official partner to his competitions. She was an exemplary dancer and made sure everyone knew about it. Although her attitude bothered Adrien sometimes, he knew she was a good person at heart so he stayed as her friend.

_"Let's give it up for our all-time favorite couple, Adrien Agreste and Chloe Bourgeois!"_

Shouts, cheers and applause was heard all around the stadium as the blond couple gracefully walked down the hall with a professional smile on their faces. However, just as Adrien turned around, he spotted the one person who shook him to the core at that moment.

Eyes wide and ever dazzling, Marinette looked at him like he was the world. Or, at least, that's what he liked to think.

But she was _watching_ him. Intently watching him, and the dance hasn't even started.

As he positioned Chloe and himself, he took one last glance at her. It was at that moment that she mouthed the words,

"Do your best."

With the biggest, goofy grin on her face. The same grin she'd share with him during their most fun moments. And that grin was all he needed to know that he will succeed this dance. No, not just succeed, but _perfect_ so much that no one's going to want to watch anywhere else.

Thus, the dance started.

Marinette watched as he gracefully and so smoothly led his partner through the foxtrot. As she watched on, she noticed something she'd never seen him do before. It wasn't his professional smile nor his dance variation. No. Something was different. On instinct, she looked to someone to ask but she found everyone watching on with such focused looks that she finally figured it out.

It was his air. The proud and arrogant yet competent air he exuded as he danced was what differentiated this dance from all the dances she's seen him do.

It was as if he wanted to be noticed. No, not just noticed, but to _not be ignored_.

Marinette clenched her fists in an attempt to stop the tears rolling down again. Once more, she felt so stupid for ignoring this magnificent boy. All because of her petty feelings.

So, this time, she watched. Not once looking away until the dance ended.

* * *

Once the dance finished, Adrien's eyes immediately searched for familiar blue ones only to find them gone. After returning to the receiving area, he immediately started to look for her, ignoring Chloe's protests for him to stay. But then he was suddenly barraged by so many people complimenting and sucking up to him that he barely managed to get to the basement.

He looked around, his eyes darting right to left. Unfortunately, the next dancers were cultural group dancers and they were prepping up by the entrance, making it hard for him to squeeze through.

When he finally reached the end of the crowd, he looked down both sides of the hallways to no avail. However, it was when he looked front, on the way to the exit that he finally found her. Except she was with someone - some _boy_ \- he didn't know. Adrien noticed they were wearing matching clothing and guessed he was her partner. It was also then that he noticed Marinette's completely exposed back. The blonde immediately felt his face heat up at the sight which didn't make sense because he was supposed to be used to it by now.

Quickly taking his mind off the subject to better focus on the main point at hand, Adrien shook his head. He watched as the two spoke in hushed tones. Suddenly, she took his hands in hers and held them up to her forehead. He tried to ignore the way the gesture made his heart ache in pain. He couldn't. But he stayed.

Marinette's back was slightly to him so she couldn't see he was there. It was only when the her partner's eyes finally flicked to him that he both noticed Adrien standing there.

Adrien then saw how he gave him a slightly wry smile before signaling Marinette of his presence.

* * *

When Adrien's dance was finally finishing, Marinette turned around and exited the hall only to be stopped by the sight of her partner. He was standing at the middle of the staircase leading down to the basement with a worried expression on his face.

"I was wondering where you were," Luka spoke. "I thought you were only checking the queue, so when you didn't come back, I got worried."

Marinette gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, I got distracted," she replied.

Luke gave one glance towards the dance hall and small snort. "I see," was the only thing it said that it made the bluenette wonder what exactly he was thinking about. "Well, I need to talk to you a bit, so can you come with me for a sec?" he asked as he held out a hand to her.

"Okay," she quietly replied, taking his hand.

Both dancers silently went down just before a group of cultural dancers lined up by the stairs to prepare. Instead of going back to their changing room, the couple opted to talk by the exit area where there were little people. Once they were there, Luka let Marinette's hand go .

"Marinette," he began. "I know you've been feeling down lately, I could tell from the practices. I just wanted to know if you're okay now. Whatever was upsetting you, I hope it's not upsetting you anymore." He gave her a sad smile. "I'm not going to ask you the reasons... but I just wanted this to be the best debut you'll ever have."

Marinette's heart warmed at her partner's words. She sincerely smiled at him and told him, "Thank you, Luka. For all you've done for me, for doing your best for me. I'm fine now, trust me. I'll make sure to give my best during the performance. I promise." It was then that she took Luka's hands in hers, consequently surprising him, and raising them up to touch her forehead as she bowed her head. "Thank you so much. You've been such a great help."

After a while, Luka finally replied. "Anything for you, Marinette. By the way, do you two personally know each other?"

The bluenette looked up to find Luka looking at something - _someone_ \- behind her. She turned to see Adrien Agreste standing there, all disheveled and stiff.

Turning to her partner, she gave him a weak smile. "Umm, can you excuse us for a sec? I'll be right back," she said.

"No, it's fine. I'll leave. I don't think there'd be a better place to talk with him anyway," Luka spoke as he smiled kindly down at her. "Don't take too long." He winked and patted her head.

"Thanks, Luka," Marinette said before her partner left.

After a few awkward seconds, Marinette and Adrien simply stood there until one of them spoke up.

"Mari-"

"No! Wait! Stop!" she suddenly outright interrupted him as she turned away. "I can't... I can't look at you right now."

Hearing that only made Adrien's heart plummet. "You... don't want to see my face that badly?" he said, sounding so hurt that Marinette couldn't help but look back at him.

"No, that's not it!"

"Well, you're not really convincing me here, especially after how you completely ignored me these past weeks," Adrien countered straightforwardly. It was a direct attack Marinette was not ready for. He was angry and she knew it.

Pulling her hands up to her chest, the bluenette did her best not to cry again. God, she was such a crybaby. "I... I'm sorry," she weakly muttered as she bowed her head in shame. "I'm so, so sorry."

"For what?" Adrien coldly asked above her.

"For purposely ignoring you these past few weeks," she confessed, tears streaming down her cheeks, her head still bowed in shame. "I didn't mean to... I just felt so hurt and lost and frustrated at myself. I didn't want to see you because... because..." She sobbed.

It was then that she felt a gentle hand touch her shoulder as another carefully lifted her chin up. She was met with warm yet hurt green eyes. "Why?" was all he asked, his voice and tone so soft, so weak, so lost.

Without thinking, her hands snaked up his cheeks and pulled his face closer to hers slowly. Marinette then rested her forehead on his and closed her eyes as she continued to sob. "I... I saw you dancing with another girl that day... in our meeting place... _our_ special meeting place at _our_ special time. Just seeing that hurt a lot and I couldn't stand it, so I blamed you but I was wrong. I know that now. I misunderstood, and I'm so sorry for hurting you. For ignoring you purposely. I'm so sorry, Adrien."

As she spoke those words, Adrien's hands crept up to her cheeks, his thumbs wiping her ever flowing tears. Once he heard those words, it was as if a rock was lifted from his chest. "Dummy, you should have called me. You should have texted me. You should have told me everything instead of..." his voice hitched. "Instead of ignoring me. I missed you so much, you know? I hated how I couldn't see you everyday. I hated how I didn't know why or what I did to make you... make you _hate_ me."

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I don't hate you, at all. I could never."

He inhaled deeply and sighed long. "I know," he replied as he stood straighter and pulled Marinette into his arms. "Damn, I missed you so much, Mari. I thought I'd lost you."

The bluenette cried even more. "I'm so sorry."

The blonde hugged her tighter as melted into her own embrace. "You big dummy." With that, the tears he'd been holding back finally fell.

And just like that, in the corner of the exit, stood a crying idiot pair who was more or less ignored by everyone around them. In the distance, two hearts were silently breaking as they watched the two hug each other tightly.


	8. Chapter 8

**TELL ME,** is this story too fast paced? ;))

**BTW, **this story has now also been published in Wattpad so if you prefer reading it there, go ahead! :)) my user name is different there so don't mind it! Also, I added a "(Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction)" to the title.

**ALSO, **we're NOT nearing the end yet so stay tuned!

**ALSO ALSO, **I'm sorry for portraying Gabriel in a more err evil light but there are reasons and you'll read them in this chapter :D ENJOY! Love y'all :*

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.

**Chapter 8**

As they stood there in each other's arms, silent as they let the tears fall, a lone woman with a pair of glasses stood in the distance. She quietly observed the two, her face devoid of any emotions. After a while, she left.

When they broke away from their hug, Adrien immediately took a small handkerchief from his chest pocket and used it to wipe the makeup stains on Marinette's face. He did it so gently that the girl wasn't surprised by the sudden gesture. The blonde chuckled as he wiped because the stains were making her look funny.

Marinette gave him a confused look and he just shook his head. "You know, Mari," he began to say. "I really like you."

And it was as if the whole world dropped to the ground. The bluenette's breathe hitch and her eyes went wide. She stared at the boy who made her heart race so fast and face heat up to a red. He was still casually wiping the stains off her face, not noticing the way her whole world just somehow lit up at his words. It wasn't until he finished that he finally looked her in the eye and smiled.

"I don't ever want to lose a friend like you."

And it was also just like that that her whole world was pushed to hell. Marinette grew stiff and felt her heart sink. Oh, it was painful, alright. But it was numbing kind of pain. She didn't know whether to be frustrated or content he didn't hate her, at least.

But the blond simply smiled down at her with the same warm eyes. So Marinette thought maybe this was okay for now. If she could still see him like this, being just friends was enough.

"I promise I won't ever bring anyone to our secret meeting place again," he whispered, gaze down as he fiddled with her hand. "I really like you, Marinette. I don't want to lose you. Life has been brighter with you around." He smiled sincerely.

_You say that like you love me yet say I'm just your friend. Well, you may be a dense idiot, _Marinette thought. _But I guess I'll settle with that for now._

"Me, too, Adrien," she said as she looked into his eyes. "I like you."

She watched as the blonde's eyes grew wide, a blush forming on his cheeks. She felt his hand circle around her hand and his fingers interlacing with hers.

"Mari—"

"You're a really precious friend to me, too," she spoke.

Marinette watched as his expression slightly fell, his eyes less bright than a second ago. She also noticed how his shoulders slowly slumped down. She wondered what that meant but dared not to.

"I gotta go now," she then said, breaking away from him. "I need to reapply my makeup. See you later?"

Adrien gave her a strained smile. "Okay."

Marinette turned to go but stopped midway. She turned back to the blonde and gave him her most powerful smile. "Watch me, okay?" Then she left.

Adrien chuckled and clenched his fists. Of course, he'd watch. But what was that feeling just now?

Why did it feel like he was expecting for something else when she told him those words?

His heart continued to throb even though he and Marinette had already reconciled. It was the same kind of pain he felt when he saw her with that other guy. But he didn't understand. Didn't she say she liked him? That she didn't hate him at all?

Unless…

_No, _Adrien thought. _I can't risk losing her again. I can't… But…_

Shaking his head off his thoughts, he tried to ignore his throbbing heart and left the vicinity.

"Ready?" Luka turned to his partner.

Marinette smiled at him, taking his outstretched hand. "Ready."

The time had finally come when Marinette could finally perform live on stage for the first time. She made sure to tell her parents beforehand and she knew they were out there watching her. Knowing they would finally see the product of her passion had gotten her all fired up.

As they walked down to the center of the hall, she made sure to hold her head high.

"_Now, dancing to tango, from Class…" _the announcer began. _"Luka Couffaine, a familiar dance prodigy and pride of the Couffaine family! Next to him as his partner for tonight is a start-up dance genius making her debut on this very stage, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"_

Hearing the crowd applause for them rang sweetly in the bluenette's ears. As the couple positioned themselves, Luka made sure to remind Marinette to relax. She smiled at him, reassuring him that she will be performing her best, and her best only, today. The boy couldn't help but smile back in excitement.

Once the music started, they immediately lost themselves in the dance. Their expressions flirty and their movements fluid and sensual, both dancers caught the audience's attention in no time. They were both dynamic and synced that nothing was out of place. Their routine was unique and bordered along flirty and sensually captivating.

At one point, the couple reached a corner and just as Luka released Marinette, she gave a flirtatious look and gesture at the crowd before turning back to Luka. What she did captivated the audience without knowing it and they applauded her for her charisma.

As they continued in a slow and hot variation, a certain blonde watching from the sidelines felt more and more irritated and unsettled. At that moment, he sorely wished it was him and Marinette dancing together.

Finally, with one grand and elegant swing, the couple posed for the finish. The crowd cheered and applauded them as they took a bow. Marinette looked around her as she raised her head again, a broad grin on her face. The cheers and claps all around her told her that she made it.

She finally made her dream come true.

She was finally able to dance to her heart's content in front of the people, on the grandest stage in all of New Paris.

"Congratulations, Marinette," Luka spoke beside her as they greeted the crowd. "You finally made it."

And Marinette couldn't help but sob and hug her partner in that moment. She felt so happy that she couldn't hold herself. Luka laughed and put a comforting arm around her as they turned to exit, ignoring how the cheers turned to a different kind of cheer.

When they exited the stage, she saw the people at the bottom cheer and compliment her as they passed by. Marinette forgot how many times she said her thanks once they got back to the dressing room. She was still crying, noticing her messy face when she faced the mirror.

"God, I must've looked horrible when we exited," she commented sardonically.

Her partner merely chuckled. "You might need waterproof make-up next time, then," he stated.

Marinette lit up at the word. _Next time, _she thought. There was going to be a next time, and she absolutely loved the idea of performing again. "Yeah, I'll make sure to buy some next time," she happily replied.

Suddenly, she felt a warm weight on her head. She turned to see Luka patting her head with a soft smile. "I'm proud of you, Marinette," he spoke.

Marinette grinned. "Thanks," she said. "I'm proud of me, too."

They both laughed when there was suddenly a knock to the door. Following the knock, a familiar face popped from the other side of the door.

"Adrien!"

The blonde simply smiled as he entered, not bothering to close the door. "Hey," he said to Marinette then turned to her partner. "Luka."

"Adrien," the blue haired boy greeted with a smile before walking to the blonde. The two then shook their hands. "Saw your performance. Can't say I was surprised by it. It was perfect as always." He smiled.

Adrien returned his smile with his own. "Yours wasn't any less," he complimented. "I'm looking forward to another competition against you."

"And this time, I'll win," Luka said with a fired up look.

"We'll see," Adrien replied with the same look. In the end, they both laughed.

Marinette watched the interaction between the two and surmised that they were both really good friends. She saw how their eyes lit up with the spirit of fair competition and rivalry yet they treated other very well. It was then that she decided to speak up.

"You two are really good frenemies," she commented, giggling.

"We are," Luka said it like a matter of fact. "We've been friends since childhood."

"And rival dancers since, too," Adrien added.

Luka nodded then turned to Marinette. "Well, I guess this is it," he said, grabbing his bag which was on the floor. "It was really a pleasure to be your partner, Marinette. I've never partnered with anyone as good at following as you. Thanks for accepting me as your partner that day."

Marinette blushed as she smiled. "Me, too. It was really fun being the partner of a great dancer. I'm glad I agreed that day."

Luka smiled and patted her head. This gesture irked Adrien as he watched but he didn't let on. "Well, see you later," he said before walking to the door. Then he turned to Adrien and whispered, "Don't hurt her again next time."

Before Adrien could react, Luka was already out the door. The blonde was left speechless and confused. Just as he was about to think about his words, the bluenette spoke up.

"What'd he say?" she asked.

"Oh, uh," Adrien stuttered, knowing it was best not to tell her. "Just that he'll be sure to beat me next time. Hehe."

Marinette chuckled. "I see," she said before turning to grab her bag. "Shall we go?"

Adrien smiled. However, instead of opening the door, he walked towards the bluenette and hugged her. Lowering his head to her ear, he softly spoke, "Congratulations, Marinette."

The girl could almost cry again. But she held back her tears and hugged the blonde back. "Thank you. It's all thanks to you I got this far. If it wasn't for you, I don't think I'd have ever been able to achieve my dream."

It was then that Adrien pulled back. "No. I believe you would have been able to achieve it on your own, even without my help. Even without us meeting, I know you would have been able to somehow, using your own strength, get yourself admitted and eventually achieve your dreams. It had nothing to do with me. I simply gave you an easier and faster way to get admitted to the school. Everything else leading to today was all because of your hard work and sheer talent," he sincerely told her. "That's why I'm so proud of you, Marinette."

And then the dam finally broke. Again. Before she knew it, Marinette was crying tears of joy once more. She really loved this boy and thanked him from the bottom of her heart.

However, it was at that moment that she decided to do what she used to deem impossible.

Cupping Adrien's cheeks, Marinette pulled him in as she stood on the balls of her feet. Before the blonde knew it, Marinette's soft, warm lips were on his in a chaste kiss. His lips felt soft, Marinette thought while her eyes were closed.

Meanwhile, Adrien's eyes were anything but closed. Wide-eyed, he watched as the bluenette pulled back from the sudden kiss. Her cheeks were sprayed in pink, her ears red. She was clearly embarrassed by what she'd done. Seeing that somehow stirred something in Adrien's chest. Without warning, he cupped the girl's cheeks and pulled her back into another kiss.

Shocked, Marinette did not expect him to pull her back into the kiss like that. But she couldn't think any more clearer as she melted into the kiss. Arms encircled around the blonde's neck as arms snaked around the bluenette's waist. They melted into each other's warmth as they locked lips multiple times, catching their breaths before each kiss.

At the end of a long kiss, they rested their forehead on each other's and looked into the other's eyes. They were both red and disheveled and panting yet they both still managed to smile with now knowing looks.

"I thought you said we were just friends," Marinette teasingly asked with a smirk.

Adrien groaned and hugged her waist tighter. "I admit that was dumb."

"You made me believe I didn't have a chance, Agreste," she said, pulling her head back to get a better look at him.

"I'm sorry about that." He looked really apologetic with a cute pout on his red lips.

"And I was already so obvious."

"I… now know. I apologize for realizing my feelings a bit too late. I was afraid you'd hate me if I…" He didn't need to continue since Marinette completely understood him.

She was, after all, just like that until she finally decided to fuck it and dived in for the kill.

"How are you going to make up for it?" Marinette asked with a teasing smile to which the blonde mischievously smiled back to.

"Well, what do you suggest I should do, my lady?" he huskily asked. His voice shook Marinette to the core, and she immediately liked the sound of the pet name. She also liked the look he gave her. At that moment, Adrien was being absolutely devious, looking devilishly handsome with his disheveled hair, to Marinette's dismay.

_Sneaky cat, giving me that look._

She then looked up at him like how she looked during the tango dance – completely seductive. "Well, _mon chaton_, I suggest," she flirtatiously spoke, leaning in. "You kiss me again."

Without another word, the blonde feline dived in and stole her lips once more.

And just like that, the day of the Semestral Grand Dance event ended.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the office of the Chairman.

"I see," Gabriel Agreste spoke as he stood by the window, looking at a files on a folder with the surname 'Dupain-Cheng'. "Thank you for the report, Natalie."

The silent secretary simply nodded as she turned and exited out the door. Discarding the file folder onto his table, Gabriel watched as the sun set over the horizon. Within his mind, he was already brewing the perfect plan that will make sure his son will never ever think to defy him again.

As Gabriel thought of his plan, a cold smile curved up his lips. "It seems my son has fallen in love," he muttered. Love was a fickle thing. It can be used for you or against you. In this case, it was the latter.

Turning around, he took a certain picture frame off his table. It was of him, Adrien and his beloved yet deceased wife, Emilie. He was painfully reminded of his promise to her each time he looked at this picture. Before her last breath, she made him promise to protect their son at all cost and give him the life he so deserves.

And to him, protecting his son was keeping him locked inside the academy and safe from the dangers of the outside world. To him, giving Adrien the life he deserved was making sure he became the best dancer in all of New Paris.

He would do all those at any cost. Even if it meant that his son would end up hating him.

That's why Gabriel formulated the perfect plan to make sure Adrien would never think to go outside ever again.

Love was indeed a fickle thing. It can be used for you or against you. And in Gabriel's case, it was the former.


End file.
